Martinsburg daily gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1887-1887, 1887-06-17
THE COSTERMONGER.
ONE OR THE MOST UNcNlLlZED
DENIzENs or LONDON.

To the Street and Barrow Born-The
State the Regulator OF the Coster's
Family-stowed Away at Night-Inves-
tigation.
/ find the present generation of London
costers, as a rule, to the manner, or, per-
haps should say, to the street and bar
row born. 1t is rarely man thus born,
and who has carried shallow Ia fiat
basket, or showed a barrow from boy
hood, ever gets out of the business. He
may rise into green grocer, a coal shed,
fried fish shop, or even bacon and
butter establishment, by dint of great in
dustry, but this is q dizzy eminence which
few costers attain, and of which the ma
jority do not dream. He is indeed fortu-
nate il, after busy life Of almost cease
less toll, he can gaze upon as his own a
faithful diminutive ass, barrow, few
baskets. and such other necessary nipple
ments of trade, together with sufficient
ready cash to make his daily purchases.
If to this be added the furniture for one
or two rooms In back court or alley, and
a Sunday suit for himself and ssbcst
Dress for the 'sold gal, we have, from
the standpoint of q costermonger, a pic
ture of thoroughly well-to-tlo man, if
not Of opulcnce itself.
Reliable statistics as to the present
number Of London costermongers are un-
obtainable, but I am satisfied that an es-
innate of $4,000 adults is below rather
than above the mark. The coster has
long enjoyed the luxury of working his
entire family including his wife Home
life has no charms for him His home is
on the streets and his recreation ground
the corner gin shop. Up long before sum
rise in the morning, he pushes his quaint
little barrow or spurs his stubborn donkey
on to market, and is ready to pick up bar
gains IN fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts or
anything else that can be sold again.
And then the object is to sell. In this
work he presses into service his wife or
female. companion, for the majority Of
costers waive the marriage ceremony, and
all the children that the school board in
spectors don't snatch from him. The
average coster's idea Of his duty toward
his family is to provide for them on the
lowest scale compatible with keeping in
quiry at distance, and work them on
the highest. The state, to large extent,
is the regulator of the coster's family.
Now and again it steps in and compels
him to take charge of his offspring it in
tervenes in his gentle pastime of jumping
on the s.old woman" and it captures the
budding costers, male or female, claps
them, ragged, dirty, uncivilized, into
board school, and turns them out beau
tiful little scholards.n But the state is
"'arsh and harbitrary," he growls, and
costerS ave no rights in these days of
board schools, street improvements, model
tenement 'ouses, and the like. y
Pardon the depression. 1t is not often
that the stock is closed out, even by the
united efforts of the family, until long
after dark. There is no evening meal, no
cheerful fire awaiting the nomad Of Lon
don's thousand miles of streets He and
his wife have taken their bread and penny
worth of fried fish, hot from the fish shop
at the top Of the court, and washed It
down with pint of s'three penny at the
neighboring pub. The children have
Tapped up their meals In the same man
ner, like Gideon's hosts, as they marched
along. And if the night does not end in
gin drinking, fuddled heads, and perhaps
in blows, what are the closing scenes I
The whole family tucked away in some
vile cellar or room in what is known as
"Coster's district. The barrow, covered
with sack or two, acts as q bed for some
of the smaller members Of the family
the father and mother, and probably a
daughter and son of IA or 10, all huddled
together in one room, some sleeping on
the floor. Under the bed, If there Is one,
are the vegetables remaining unsold.
Here calmly repose the fine fresh water
cre-e-ses, Z the sscherry ripe, 2 ssfine ripe
plums, y the s'inguns, = of Tomorrow, aid
not infrequently the "ni-ew mackerel, ("
and tall large ans alive or new sprats